Police Commish Visits Queens

A week full of controversy and questions were put to rest this Friday when the Police Commissioners job was filled by the head of the Department of Corrections, Bernie Kerik, and the Chief of Brooklyn, Joseph Dunne, was promoted to the new first deputy commissioner. Both visited Baisley Pond Park in Queens this weekend to take part in a picnic and acclimate themselves with the crowd.
When Commissioner Howard Safir announced two weeks ago that he would be leaving the New York City Police Department for a job in the private sector, there was mixed reactions. While he was given low public support, and was often thought of as one of the primary reasons for the racial troubles in New York, there is no denying the facts that under his reign, murder dropped 44 percent and major crimes fell by 38 percent.
"The renaissance of New York City has been built on a foundation of crime reduction, and for the last four years, Howard Safir has worked tirelessly to increase safety and the quality of life for all New Yorkers," said Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. "During Howards tenure, the Department reduced crime by more than it has under any other Police Commissioner."
Kerik will try to live up and perhaps succeed his predecessor and has begun by visiting all of the communities in his quest to unite the citys melting pot. He backed up his pledge in his first week by visiting the Greater Bright Light Baptist Church in East New York on Sunday and joined Queens Borough President Claire Shulman among other Queens leaders in Baisley Park for The Harmony Picnic on Tuesday afternoon.
"I congratulate the new Police Commissioner on his appointment," said City Council Leader Peter F. Vallone. "I encourage him to reach out to all New Yorkers and include all the diverse communities that make New York City such a special place."
Queens District Attorney was also very pleased with Giulianis decisions as he referred to Kerik as a "solid law enforcement professional who has done a first rate job as Corrections Commissioner and combines all of the attributes of the experienced street cop and with those of a talented administrator."
Along with continuing the decline in all types of crime as well as repairing race relations, Kerik and Dunne said they would also try to help the police by fixing the rundown conditions of many of the station houses. But this week, they were just trying to learn the job and meet the people.